In "The Satanic Witch", there is a passage where Doctor LaVey writes about levels of passion within individuals, using the lightbulb metaphor of how a 60W bulb and a 100W bulb are unlikely to have a happy relationship together.

I would go one step further and say that in my opinion, people of little or no passion are utterly un-interesting, to the point of having little else than irritation to offer me, insofar that I actually have to communicate with them.

I don't even acknowledge them as real humans.

They seem to me like ghosts who are trapped in a dusky existence of half-life - where they may have well managed to keep FEAR outside of their doorsteps, but in this act they pretty much shut out all and any other strong emotion as well.

However, there is a breed of people that I think of as my people. They are strong and fearless, passionate, irreverent, jocular, compassionate and SMART. The 100W people. The ones that are ALIVE. The ones that shine, where the ghosts seem to be absorbing light.

When dealing with ghosts, you cannot think of them as real people - because they just aren't. I have reached the conclusion that the best way to relate to "the others" (whom I also call civilians) is to not only think of them as, but also treat them like you would some bovine farm animal. This means to not ever expect anything from them, to not ever try to engage them in intelligent conversation, to maintain a focus of own strategy rather than allow that animal to upset you. Just like you cannot possibly expect a bull or a cow to understand you, to relate to your reality and what is in your mind, so can you not expect anything from a civilian.

But that is no reason to be mean or hateful against them. They cannot help being what they are. Would you angrily accuse a cow of being stupid and inconsiderate for not understanding you and your ways? That is just ridiculous.

I think one thing to consider, is that the people whom you may be shuffling away into the category of "ghosts" are not always what they seem. I agree, to an extent, that the majority of them are insignifigant, not really worth mentioning. But a few, who I predetermined as being "ghosts", surprised me when I got to know them better. When I have established, for sure, that someone is a genuine creature of the herd, I can then disavow them in a similar fashion, but not before. Sheep have a place in this society, and they are filling the roles that I myself would not want to fill.

As for the "animal not upsetting you", I wholeheartedly agree...my first poem posted here was dealing with a similar topic, infact. I think the bottom line is to be very careful about seeing who is truly a "human", and who is truly "animal". Another small point I keep in mind, is that a part of practicing lesser magic is to be able to blend in with any group of people as needed to achieve specific goals. When I absolutely have to, I can do the same, and can get along with people of all walks of life, by adjusting my "level" to theirs accordingly.

Anyways, getting a little off topic here, and since I mostly agree with what your saying, I don't have much of a point to make except to use caution. When petting a cute little sheep, make sure it is not a wolf in disguise.

Hi again Max. Mind if I throw my cents in? I hope not because its 4:30 in the morning and I am really not interested in sleeping or art-tastic endeavors at the moment.

I agree with Lavey’s ideals on passion and the wattage simile is very is as useful as any of his intelligent observations that have helped me grow up healthy and defiant in the face of a sick and subjective world. But I must wonder if lack of passion is really the limping wound of humanity that you suggest.

Don’t get me wrong. Being an energetic little bugger who loves with a black-belt in friendly emotions, I can almost agree fully with the wonderful post you left here. But the more I thought about how right you may possibly be, the more my thoughts drifted to a man in my life that we shall nickname “Ferg” for the rest of this post.

Y’see, Ferg has little, if any, passion for anything really exciting or fancy. His demeanor is very glum and downright boring to most. He collects data on the most humdrum things and then crunches numbers to match and collect to more data. His passion for work is possibly the only thing that keeps his heartbeat readable by any electronic device. He is…how do I say…a dweebish bore.

But Ferg has other amazing qualities other then passion. His mind is brilliant and very mathematical. His serious attitude and gruff exterior are simply parts of his clockwork personality. He has no reason to dance madly, or laugh like a loon. But he is also one of the trustworthy humans to ever befriend me. I can say he saved me much pain in my life and even once saved my life. I dig the fucker no matter how many women won’t sleep with him for his looks or personality (or lack of).

But…passion? No…no passion.

He is still worth a billion bucks to me.

Can we not hate “all” passionless apes? How about just the ones who are worthless on top of it?

Just food for thought…sorry if I am no grand chef.

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I am forever in the shadow of my crime, and for that I ask for punishment but only of the level I earned. I ask to not be removed from the place I find truth. I have been a very small creature, and have no excuse.

There are times when I do feel like a 1000 watt bulb showering my rays into an abyss of loathing apathetic emptiness. It's like feeling more passionate than anything else you've ever felt in your life and in return you get knifed right there, where the feeling comes from.

There are very few people that I want to spend more than 10 seconds in a room with. I tolerate them. Then...there are my friends.I call those people my "halogens". They are the ones that are intelligent enough--AND worthy enough--for me to consider calling a friend.

If you are here, that means you passed.

I consider you to be at least a 40 watt-er...even more of you are halogens.

On a personal level I consider myself a very curious individual, and my curiosity takes me to know a lot of people – even my own profession have to do with it too…

I feel very irritated and offended when I met someone who talks without conviction or is just repeating what they were taught.

But let’s keep in mind that this is a territory full of unexpected tricks.

Sometimes you know someone that seems very connected with you and your own perceptions but suddenly you discover that behind that first layer there’s nothing but a well made mask! On the other hand, you happen to be in front of someone that seems to belong to that 40 watt crowd but at the end is such a great comrade who is even able teach new things!

Where the fantasy ends and the reality begins?

To what extent our own pre-conceptions and past experiences work all the time?

Do have to be any formulaic attitude from our part toward that “ world outside”?

I’m not talking about to be tolerant and to keep our arms open all the time but I m talking about to use our 100 watt bulb to illuminate our perception and to put things on perspective.

In my experience those who are the most “enunciative” are just that. A big deception. They never go further, they are always telling “I will do that” or “look at what s/he just made…” (sarcastic voice ‘s tone) but they just happen to be part of the most repulsive kind of herd. And those don’t go around proclaiming who they are, happen to be “propositive”, they do things, they want to live a life full of that passion and that energy, is just that they are very focused in their aims.

There’s a thin line between us and that world outside and on a personal level I like the possibility to stand up in a position to look at the both sides, the one where is all the passion and energy I could relate to and to that other side, that is grim and uninteresting, where everything is cliché and boredom.

Sometimes behind the mystery there’s nothing and that is such a big trap.

I don't think that "passion" necessarily need be dramatic or flamboyant, hell it doesn't even have to be extrovert. In the case of your friend Ferg, I would say that he has tremendous passion - only that it is directed towards "geek" activities like crunching numbers and constructing mathematical cathedrals in his mind. (This has never been a big hit with the ladies, but he might get lucky and meet one of similar interests.)

You are a very fair man...and I am sure Ferg would thank you for that.

And since you put it that way, I can now fully agree with your original post. Thank you for bringing me over to your side of thinking.

Hail Satan.

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I am forever in the shadow of my crime, and for that I ask for punishment but only of the level I earned. I ask to not be removed from the place I find truth. I have been a very small creature, and have no excuse.